Most parents will never overtly mention any one of their kids as the favorite, but actions speak much louder than words, so the disposition toward each child is loud and clear in everyday interactions ...

Family scapegoating can cause long-term emotional harm, such as trauma and self-harm. Scapegoats are often chosen based on arbitrary factors like birth order or appearance, and this is never the child ...

The ego defence of displacement plays a role in scapegoating, in which uncomfortable feelings such as anger and guilt are displaced and projected onto another, often more vulnerable, person or group.